1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a printing system for performing printing by transmitting image data from an image pickup apparatus to a printer.
2. Description of the Related Art
Recent years are witnessing increasing use of digital still cameras and digital video cameras or the like adapted to record/reproduce still images in detachable flash memory cards in addition to tape media. With such growing widespread use, the needs for printing the images captured by such cameras are increasing, and there has been an accelerating trend toward installing self-service printing terminals at convenience stores or similar stores for people who do not have systems constructed of personal computers and printers for printing images out.
According to such printing services, customers bring their memory cards or cameras with them, connect them to the printing terminals and make settings by themselves to perform printing. As this type of technology, there has been known a conventional technology disclosed in, for example, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2000-347301.
However, there has been a problem in that a customer using a printing terminal installed at a store cannot leave the printing terminal until the printing is finished, so as to prevent his or her flash memory card or camera connected to a printer from being stolen. There has been another problem in that, if someone else is already using the printing terminal, then he or she has to wait in line, standing in front the printing terminal until the preceding user finishes printing.